Melting the Ice Queen
by gagalove
Summary: Abby discovers Ziva does have feelings, but can she really let someone else in her heart after losing Kate? Zabby, implied Kabby. Please read & review!
1. On Her Good Side

Abby had just arrived at work when she heard the elevator coming down. "This is a DNA sample from the friend whose wife had an affair with the Corporal, and here's one from the Corporal's wife." Gibbs said, walking into the forensics lab. "See if they match any of the hair we found at the crime scene."

"I know what to do with DNA, Gibbs," Abby replied. She held out her hand expectantly. "Gibbs, you ever feel like you're missing something, like you should have something, but you don't?" He handed her a Caf-Pow and half-smiled. "I need those results by eleven hundred hours so we can do interrogations today, Abby." he continued, walking away. "And clean out those drawers when you have the time! You should be able to shut them." he shouted from the elevator as it closed. "On it, Boss! I'll do my best!" she responded in a faux-soldier voice to no one in particular.

Sipping her Caf-Pow, she glanced at the overflowing drawers. They hadn't been organized in years; there were documents, scrubs, various collars and hair baubles sticking out, and enough broken tech junk to construct a robot army, albeit one that ran on Windows 98. She sorted through the drawers, throwing most of the mess out, when she came across a framed picture of Kate. Suddenly, the caffeine-induced joy was stricken from her face. Taking the picture in her hands, she sat on the floor, placed her head in her lap and began to weep quietly. The picture seemed so fake, so lifeless, driving home that she was only a memory now. It was like looking at a plastic version of the Hope Diamond if it had been destroyed. It didn't do her justice, but it was the last reminder of something beautiful. It had been a long time since she had cried about Kate, maybe even more than a year. She had gotten to the point where she remembered her fondly, but was at peace knowing Kate was at peace. She didn't hurt anymore, she wasn't burdened by worldly things, didn't have to listen to Tony ramble about movies- yes, in death, there is peace, and there are no Top Gun references. Abby laughed at that thought, it reminded her of something Kate would say. She imagined what Kate would say seeing her in this state. "You don't have to cry any more, Abby. I'm okay. But you're not. I want you to be happy. Don't let my death hold you back from that. And don't be afraid to find someone else." Abby had stopped crying. She looked up. How long had she been sitting there? It was 11:23. Oh, crap, Gibbs is gonna be pissed! She stood up and nearly smacked right into someone- Ziva.

"How long have you been standing there?" Abby said indignantly, feeling slightly embarrassed. The Israeli sometimes reminded her of Kate, they both hid their feelings- Kate with sarcasm, and Ziva with stoicism that seemed so real sometimes Abby wasn't sure she had feelings. She chased the thought away. Ziva was... nice, but she would never replace Kate. She would never be Kate. But was that fair to say? Kate didn't need replacing, and Ziva wasn't trying to replace her... Abby stood in deep thought, waiting for her response. "Only a minute or so," Ziva replied in a softer voice than usual. "I said your name several times but you did not respond." she furrowed her brow. "Are you all correct?"

"Actually, it's 'all right', unless you were going to say 'OK', which actually stands for 'all correct' because of a trend in Boston and New York in the mid 1800s to abbreviate common phrases using misspellings-"

"Abby. Quit beating off the bush." Abby interrupted Ziva with a snicker. "What, is that wrong too?"

"Yeah. It's 'beating around the bush'. Beating off is... erm... never mind, it's not important. But in answer to your question, I'm fine now."

"She was more than a friend to you." Ziva said matter-of-factly, glancing at the picture of Kate. She looked at Abby, waiting for confirmation. "You know, Ziva, usually when people want answers, they ask questions. Stating something usually means you already know it as a fact."

"I do know it as a fact. I know none of the others do, and I know you can't talk to any of them about it. If you need someone to talk to... I am here." She nodded, expecting Abby to decline.

"You didn't know Kate. You don't know what losing her was like." A glare from Ziva made Abby realize she should think before she speaks. Ziva turned to walk away, looking hurt. "I'm sorry, Zi, I didn't mean it like that- I know you know what it's like to lose someone, probably a bajillion times more than I do, it's just-" Ziva turned around to face her; the shorter woman stood only millimeters from Abby, looking up into her now smudgily-lined green eyes. There was something about the goth's eyes that captured her, even now as they were glassy from sleep deprivation and filled with tears. There was emotion in them, depth- Ziva envied the fact that the forensic scientist could be so open about her emotions, and yet still seem strong and mysterious. The look on the Israeli's face softened to a sympathetic smile.

"It's just what, Abigail?" The use of her full name caught Abby off guard. No one but Ducky called her that, and she usually didn't like it when anyone but Ducky did- but there was so much sexuality in Ziva's voice, hell, she could call her Buttface McStinkyfeet and it would still be a turn-on. Regaining her focus, she realized she was an infinitesimal amount of space away from kissing Ziva. She blushed as she continued to speak. "Sometimes, when you hurt really bad, you forget that other people hurt too, you know? I guess that's why I've treated you so badly." She smiled awkwardly. Ziva smiled back and wrapped her arms around Abby, not only to comfort the goth, but also to confirm that the unfortunate circumstance of their introduction was finally insignificant to their relationship, as were the actions of Ziva's relatives, and she had shown Abby she was not a stone-hearted, cold-blooded killer. She held the pigtailed woman tightly, letting Abby rest her head on her strong shoulder, and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"So, I assume you came down here for some reason other than to be my therapist?" Abby said, pulling away from Ziva, ready to return to work but wishing she could stay wrapped in her strong arms. "Gibbs needed the results for that DNA test, yes?" Before today, Abby had thought the Israeli's quirky speech was annoying, but now it was cute. "The hair you found belongs to the Corporal's wife. Tony's gonna say he told you so." Abby remarked. "Actually, I was the one who thought there was something... hinky about her." Ziva smirked victoriously as the elevator door closed, knowing she was finally on the good side... of Abby's bed? Was that how the idiom went? No, that hadn't happened yet.


	2. Ice Queen

Abby took a minute to collect her thoughts after Ziva's visit. What the hell just happened, anyway? A few days ago, she wouldn't have saved this chick from falling in a pit of alligators, and now she couldn't stop thinking about her warm voice, her tight, muscular body, the way her heart pounded when the brunette wrapped her arms around her... Abby tried to chase the thought away so she could work. After all, wouldn't you feel closer to anyone after they comforted you when you needed it most? But it was more than that. She didn't feel close enough, she wanted more... And besides, the rest of the team had been there for her the whole time since Kate's passing, and it had never felt like this with any of them... Maybe she should have given Ziva a chance to begin with, and she would have seen this side of her earlier. But would she have been ready for it? Was she even ready now? Maybe that's why she had shut the newcomer out so quickly. She was afraid of falling for someone else, afraid of moving on. It only made Kate's death more real. But it was too late now, and she couldn't run from the truth forever...

The ding of the arriving elevator sounded. Abby's heart pounded, hoping and dreading the sight of the object of her confusion. Tony walked out of the elevator and Abby breathed a sigh of relief and disappointment. "Zi-vah was supposed to bring you this evidence, but she forgot... What's up with her today? She's never forgotten anything, except how to speak English properly, and she's being... cordial. No death threats the whole day. It's like someone's melted our ice queen."

"Did it ever occur to you that she might just be a good person, Tony?" Abby said defensively. Tony raised an eyebrow quizzically. "What happened to you two hating each other's guts?" he probed. "Whenever you're done gossiping, Tony, I have something for you. The fingerprints found on the murder weapon don't match the wife's. She was there, but she didn't pull the trigger." Abby feigned her usual perkiness to avoid further questions. "Keep up the good work, Abby." Tony said, obviously distracted by thought as he left. Tony walked past McGee, who was on his way to get the results of the autopsy. "I know there's something going on between those two, Probie."

"If you mean they're becoming friends, then yes, I agree." McGee dismissed the idea as just another of Tony's salacious fantasies. Nothing was innocent to him; in his mind, everyone had a 'dirty secret'. "That's what they want you to think, Probie. I've been accused of having the mind of a teenage boy, but you've got the mind of a six year old girl. Not everything that goes on in the world is squeaky clean and G-rated, McPrincess." They walked away in opposite directions, McGee toward the elevator and Tony toward his desk, smiling at every young female employee he passed. The secretaries returned the favor sheepishly, blushing and giggling, the agents acknowledged him cordially or rolled their eyes. "I needed you back here 15 minutes ago, Dinozzo."

"Sorry, boss. I got distracted by a pretty little bird." he said, grinning at a new secretary with curly blonde hair. Ziva laughed as the palm of Gibbs' hand collided with Tony's thick skull, causing him to rub his head as Gibbs walked away sipping coffee. "McGee, have you located the wife yet?"

"Not yet, boss... the BOLO's only been out about an hour." McGee sounded nervous. Usually the team worked faster than this. Everything was weird today. Gibbs noticed a box on the floor- more evidence. "Goddamnit, how many tries is it going to take to get this damn evidence to Abby?" he was losing his patience. Ziva grabbed the box and hurried toward the elevator. "The next person to get distracted and hinder this case gets sacked!"

Ziva stepped out of the elevator into the lab. The familiar smell of chemical fumes was almost comforting by association with Abby. "This is really the last of the evidence this time." she said, handing Abby the box. "Finally! I've been waiting for these like, forever... well, not really forever because we just got the case today, but a really long time... I guess that depends on your definition of a long time, which would vary based on the situation and the amount of patience the person had... I'm rambling, aren't I?" Abby said, looking embarrassed. "I do not mind." the Israeli replied warmly, returning the perky grin to Abby's face. Suddenly, an alarm began to blare throughout the lab, the lights went out and the computers went black. "Do they really have to do these lockdown drills in the middle of an investigation?" Ziva seemed annoyed by the interruption. "The computers don't turn off in a drill, Ziva. This is real."


	3. Intrusive Behavior

"Quick, get in the supply closet!" Abby grabbed Ziva's arm, pulling her into a small, cramped closet with a thick iron door. "Sit against the door, they won't be able to see us through that tiny window. Even if they do, the glass is bullet-resistant and there's no way anyone could kick down this door, especially with both our weight on it, not even like, you..." The goth's frantic speech was obviously an attempt to reassure herself. Ziva placed a finger over Abby's lips. "Shh. We will be fine." She pulled out her phone and silenced it. Abby took out hers and saw a text from McGee. "Shit, Zi, I'm scared. What about Tony and McGee and Gibbs? Where are they gonna go?"

"They will be fine, Abigail. They are grown men, they can take care of themselves. Stay quiet." She opened McGee's text. _The alarm is real,_ it said. _R u ok? Is z with u? _Abby paused for a second, hoping her reply wouldn't make McGee's phone ring and give their hiding place away. But she was sure he had thought of that. _We r ok, in supply closet like we practice in drills. _She made sure the volume was off and sent it. The sound of footsteps echoed through the lab. She looked at the Israeli nervously. Ziva pulled out her gun and set it in her lap, not because she expected to use it, but just to make Abby feel safe. She hated seeing her scared like this. If she could somehow do it without endangering Abby, she would open the door and shoot the bastard right now. She wasn't the type to hide in a closet in the face of danger, but she wasn't going to put Abby's life at risk.

_The computers are in emergency shut-down so they can't access anything_, Abby typed on her phone and showed it to Ziva. The shadow of a person appeared in the faint light coming from the window. The door started to shake as someone tried to pry it open. Abby clapped her hand over her mouth to stop a scream. Ziva grabbed Abby's phone and typed, _They are trying to provoke a reaction to see if there is someone in here. _Abby understood and stayed perfectly still and silent. If they thought no one was in there, they'd just go away, right? The door stopped shaking. The goth scientist relaxed, thinking it was all over and they were probably leaving.

Ziva's was zen-focused on being still and quiet until the loud crash of a sledgehammer hitting the window destroyed her concentration. The glass was several inches thick, but it had cracked with the first hit. The intruder must have known they were there from the extra weight against the door- this wasn't your average burglar, this person knew what they were doing. Ziva realized they were probably going to come in through the window once it was broken enough. She could undo the deadbolts and open the door quickly, and hopefully it would hit him and knock him unconscious, but it was iron. It wouldn't just swing open. He would have time to get out of the way. If she waited for him to come in the window, he would be cut badly because it was so small. He would be slowed down significantly; she could start quietly opening the deadbolts when he was almost finished so she and Abby could get out as soon as he got in. Seeing that Abby was in a state of near-shock, she handed the shaking goth her gun for protection. It was touching that Ziva would ensure her safety at the cost of her own, considering a gun could be the one thing to save their lives, depending what this asshole wanted, Abby thought.

The moment they had both been dreading came as a figure jumped through the jagged window, dripping blood on both of them before it hit the ground. Ziva pushed the door open and grabbed Abby by the arm, dragging her back into the open lab. They stood up and Abby pointed her gun at the man who stepped out of the supply closet. "Ziva!" He said, shocked. Abby looked over at her friend, feeling she was about to lose her newfound trust. "You know this jackass?"

"His name is Avshai Gavri. He was Ari's childhood friend. He ran away and joined a terrorist cell as a teenager. I assume that is why he is here." She turned to the intruder. "What is it you want?" she asked him in Hebrew. "I came here to kill. Ari is dead. It is this agency's fault. But I did not plan on seeing you." He replied, also in Hebrew.

"What did he say, Ziva?" Abby was getting more and more confused. Her trust was regained by the tone in Ziva's voice as she spoke to the man. Even though it was another language, she could tell Ziva was furious and not letting her former connection to him cloud her judgment. "He says he is here to avenge Ari's death."

"Does he know...?" Abby stopped, thinking the man may be pretending to not know English, but obviously referring to the fact that Ziva was the one who had killed Ari. "No. He only knows it was this agency."

"You are working for the American government, Ziva?" He continued in disbelief. She simply glared. "You are a traitor to your home!" He advanced toward her. "Traitors like you should be dead." Abby could tell from his cold stare that whatever he had just said was bad news. "Get back, dirtbag!" she yelled for no particular reason, shoving him away from Ziva, who looked at Abby with surprise that she would engage an armed terrorist in such a way. He was obviously insulted. "Pretty girl." He said, looking Abby up and down, making her scowl in disgust. "What does she mean to you?"

"If you lay a single finger on her you will not see the light of day again." Ziva's voice was acrimonious. Abby could tell she was laying down the law. "I do not intend to cause you pain, Ziva. Unless, of course, it was you who killed Ari." He scowled at her accusingly. "No. He was killed by a man who no longer works here, which makes your little visit pointless."

"LIAR!" He screamed, startling Abby. She pointed the gun at him in warning. "It WAS you. You are lying to protect the girl. You killed your own half-brother, who fought the good fight for his country! You are not just a traitor, you are the scum of the earth!" Abby could tell Ziva was affected by his words more deeply than her growing anger showed. "This is my country now. And Ari was the traitor! He did not target this agency to protect his country, he did it to give Mossad a bad name! He used you and the rest of your cell. He targeted my boss because he reminded him of our father, but also so he could gain intelligence to stage a terrorist attack on NCIS and make it look like it was organized by Mossad. And now you have used that intelligence to break in and avenge his death, but you waited until his death was long forgotten because you don't want it to look like there was a connection between this attack and Mossad. You knew what he was doing all along, but you didn't care because all you want is dead Americans!"

He was impressed and angered that the woman could read him so well. For a moment he wasn't sure what to do. "You are so intelligent, Ziva. It's a shame you have to die." He lunged for her, ramming her shoulder into a table behind her. She kneed his stomach and twisted his neck backward. He said something that Abby could tell was an expletive. Abby roundhouse-kicked him in the back of the head before he could throw another punch at Ziva. "Impressive," she said.

The man regained his strength quickly and grabbed Ziva by the calves, catching her off-guard and pulling her to the ground. They fought hand-to-hand, but he strategically worked his way on top of her and pulled out a knife from his belt. "Ziva!" Abby feared she was about to lose another friend. Then she remembered the gun in her hand. Her hands were shaking fiercely. If she hit him, she'd save Ziva, if she missed, she might kill her... "Abby! SHOOT HIM!" Ziva yelled, knowing she could only push his hand away for a few more seconds. She pulled the trigger and winced. Her heart felt like it was beating faster than the bullet was traveling. She closed her eyes, praying it hit its intended target as she heard the horrible sound of bullet cracking bone.

"Abby. You can open your eyes." she heard a familiar voice say and breathed a sigh of relief. She saw Ziva push the man's body off of her. His head leaked a pool of dark blood on the lab floor. Ziva sighed almost silently, the scene reminding her of Ari's death. She thought for a split second that Abby was lucky to have not seen Kate die, but she dismissed the insensitive thought. It hurt just the same. She walked over to a shaken forensic scientist and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." She whispered into her ear. Abby began to cry into her shoulder. Ziva rubbed her back, singing a Hebrew lullaby softly.


	4. Organic Popcorn and Horror Movies

Ziva continued to hold Abby and sing softly until she stopped crying. To her chagrin, she pulled away from Ziva, only because the body on the floor was ruining the moment. "Can we get that out of here?" The goth said, pointing tentatively at the body as if it might get back up. "This tile needs to be replaced; it stains easily." Ziva nodded, understanding that the tile was just an excuse. Abby had seen lots of bodies before. When you deal with death daily, it doesn't seem like a big deal until you are responsible for it, until you see the life abruptly stolen from someone's face. You remember that death isn't just business as usual, it's the end of someone forever. "First we have to call Jenny and tell her the intruder is dead." Ziva dialed the director's office on her cell.

"Hello Ziva. Are you okay? Have you seen the intruder?" Jenny didn't sound overly concerned. She knew the Israeli well, she could handle herself. "Yes. He attacked after stating intent to kill; Abby shot him." The director raised an eyebrow. "Abby shot him? I was expecting to hear you killed him with office supplies." Ziva chuckled and glanced at her companion, who was now pacing impatiently. "No. She was very brave. She saved my life. But now we need to get this body to autopsy."

"Hold on, Ziva, I have a call from Gibbs." She switched to the other line, then back after only a few seconds. "There are two intruders. Prepare yourselves, Gibbs says the other just headed for the stairs." Ziva hung up her phone. "There are two-" She followed Abby's eyes to the lab door, which had been broken down by the first intruder. Another man stood staring at his fallen comrade, crestfallen. He glared at Abby, obviously noting the gun in her hand. He was about to take off toward her when Gibbs came flying down the stairs. He took off in the other direction, down the hall and into the parking garage. Gibbs lost track of him through all the cars, then he heard an engine roar on another floor. He went up, but the man had gone down to employee parking and by the time Gibbs figured that out, he was long gone.

"Call Jenny, tell her Bastard #2 just escaped in an employee car." The girls were surprised, expecting news of another body. "Director. The second intruder has escaped in an employee car."

"Team meeting. Bullpen. Now." Jenny hung up, obviously annoyed. A few minutes later, everyone was in the bullpen watching the surveillance footage of the man escaping. "Hey!" Abby called out as the man simply opened a car door and drove off like it was his. "That's my car!" McGee looked at her, confused. "You left your car unlocked with the keys inside?" Abby looked at her feet, preparing to be scolded. "Yeah... my phone's in there, too... I sometimes forget to do things before I have my first Caf-Pow... the other day I almost left the house without getting dressed..." Dinozzo's eyebrow raised, wondering if she meant that literally or she was wearing pajamas. "Doesn't your phone have a picture of you for the background, Abs?"

"Well, yeah, it's me on Christmas with the Santa psychiatrist who was here... but it locks while it's off so the only thing he'll be able to access is my emergency info... which includes my home phone... which he could look up in the phone book and find my address..." Abby looked like she was starting to get concerned. "Gibbs, the man saw her with a gun in her hand and his partner on the floor, dead and obviously shot in the head." There was something present in Ziva's voice that was extremely rare for her- nervousness. " Gibbs glanced at Abby, then at Ziva. "Stay with David until we catch this bastard, Abs. And don't be out alone at night. Or at all, without a gun."

"Aw! I feel like I just got grounded." Abby said. "Only when I got grounded, mom never told me to carry a gun." Dinozzo smirked. "Perk up, Abby. We'll have 'em caught soon. It'll be like an extended sleepover, you two can tell secrets, have pillow fights, 'experiment'..." Abby slapped him on the back of the head forcefully. He squealed. "That was vicious," he rubbed his head and tried to regain balance. "Feels like my brain just hit the inside of my forehead."

"What brain?" Ziva said, walking past him, arms linked with Abby on the way to her car. "This is gonna be fun, Zi, we can stay up late and watch old horror movies and eat organic popcorn!" The shorter woman smiled. It was not what she usually did for fun, but she would do anything with Abby. She contemplated the extent of 'anything' as the elevator went down.

"Weird things are going on here, Probie." Tony said to McGee, gesturing dramatically. "Is it a full moon? Something in the water? Mind-altering virus?" Tony rubbed his chin as if deep in thought. "Maybe you're driving everyone crazy with your rambling, Tony." McGee gathered his things and left, leaving Tony standing alone, head still throbbing.


	5. Staring

Abby entered the passenger side of Ziva's new car, a sleek silver BMW with a black leather interior. Everything but the steering seemed to be controlled by buttons built unobtrusively into the console area. The design was so modern, she half-expected it to start talking. "Sweet ride!" she said, awestruck. "It's like something out of a spy movie." Ziva smirked amusedly as the goth marveled over the vehicle, inhaling its scent, tracing her fingertips oh-so-delicately over the smooth leather seats, grinning with pleasure... _Snap out of it, _Ziva thought. _You're staring. Say something._ "It was a gift from my uncle." she broke the silence with awkward urgency. "He moved to America about 6 years before I did and won the lottery on his 8th day as a citizen. When he found out I was living here permanently, he sent me this with a letter that said, 'I have so much money that I do not know what to do with it."

"Wow, nothing like that ever happens in my family." Abby said, still squirming excitedly in her seat like a little girl. "What did Tony mean by 'experiment'?" Ziva asked, trying to keep the subject off her family as much as possible. "Uh. Well, in that context, he means sexually, specifically 2 people of the same sex engaging in some form of sexual activity in order to determine their preferences." The Israeli realized she should have assumed it was something like that, seeing that Tony had said it. "I am confident in my sexuality, I do not need to use someone as my skinny pig to figure it out. I think that sounds manipulative." There was a hint of a scowl in Ziva's expression and a bit of condescension in her voice, as if her objection had some kind of experience behind it. But just what was she referring to? Did she mean she was confident that she was straight, or... otherwise? Was she trying to tell Abby something? "Same here. I don't want to be someone's science project. But I think you mean 'Guinea pig'."

Ziva pulled into her parking space in the garage of her apartment complex. Abby followed her toward the elevator. "You seem nervous." She was put off by Abby's suddenly stiff stance. "I thought you liked elevators because only 5 people a year died in them." The raven-haired woman eased up a little. "Sure, but you happened to be there when one did. You might be bad luck," she remarked teasingly. "He had a congenital brain defect. What does that have to do with luck?" Ziva faux-glared into her smug-looking companion's mockingly squinted green eyes. The elevator dinged and the door opened. "Apartment 310." She stated without breaking her stare as they both tried to out-speedwalk each other. Naturally, Ziva had the advantage because she knew where she was going. She stopped at her apartment door and Abby, eyes still locked, walked straight into a support beam and fell on her rear end. The Israeli couldn't help but laugh. "You should know better than to engage in a staring contest with an assassin, Abigail." she admonished, standing over her in a domineering stance. She extended her arm and helped her up.

Ziva turned on the lights as they walked in and made a point of locking the door. "You must be hungry, it is already 8 o'clock. I'll heat up some ravioli." She walked toward the kitchen area. "I'll help!" Abby offered unnecessarily, not wanting to lose her company. "The pasta is in the freezer and the sauce is in the refrigerator, can you get them out?" Ziva said, crouching down to get spices out of a rack in a low cabinet. Abby noticed most of the things in her fridge were homemade and stored neatly in little Tupperware containers. It was a lot different from her fridge, which had enough organic frozen meals and the like to survive an apocalypse, considering she never cooked.

She placed the containers on the counter by the stove next to where Ziva was hunting for the oregano. As she stood back up, Abby pretended not to notice her eyes wander up the goth's short plaid skirt to catch a glimpse of dark lace. If it'd been anyone else, she would have slapped them. Hard. No one had the right to violate her like that. But... the only thing that bothered her was that it didn't bother her. It didn't feel like a violation. Hell, she had half a mind to rip the damn skirt off and... _Abigail Sciuto! _She scolded herself. _Stop fantasizing about your friend. Who is standing right next to you. _She realized Ziva was watching her, confused. "Sorry, I zoned out for a second there. What do we need now?"

"Nothing." she replied. "Just put the sauce in the microwave for about a minute and I'll heat up the pasta in a skillet." Abby did as she was told, then watched the other woman as she cooked. There was something enchanting about it, the way she moved and stared intensely, the sizzling sound of the olive oil. The microwave interrupted her thoughts with a loud beep.

"Can we eat on the couch or is that against the rules?" Abby said half-jokingly. "That is fine." Ziva chuckled, following behind her. She absentmindedly dropped her fork. "Sorry, Zi, I'll get another." she said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Turning around, she saw her host bend over to pick it up. Transfixed for a moment, she tried to regain her composure as the Israeli stood up, but Ziva smirked playfully, knowing that she had been staring.

Sitting on the couch, she handed the remote to Abby, who quickly found a campy black-and-white horror film. Both women were enjoying themselves greatly, laughing and partaking of Ziva's first-class cooking. Abby began to notice her viewing partner wince as she reached her fork to her plate. "Your arm must hurt from where that son of a bitch smashed it against my lab table." Ziva nodded. "Let me fix that." she said, turning Ziva's back to her and rubbing her shoulders skillfully. "I took Thai Massage as an elective in college." Relaxing considerably, both of them began to let their guard down.

Abby pulled one hand away to turn off the TV when the commercials came on; a sale at Fred Meyer wasn't exactly going to set the mood. When the hand returned, it slid up Ziva's shirt to explore the smooth, firm skin of her back. Encountering no protest, she slowly began easing the obstructive shirt upward. Taking the hint, Ziva took it off and tossed it aside impatiently. "Damn, you're ripped," Abby said, tracing the outlines of well-defined muscles on her back. Ziva laid down on the couch and gave Abby a come-hither look. She smiled and straddled the Israeli woman, continuing to massage her back, engendering contented sighs and scarcely audible moans in response. She rolled over quickly and surprised Abby by grabbing the back of her head, pulling her so close she could feel the gothic beauty's supple lips against her cheek. Abby then moved those lips to the Israeli's, capturing them for several perfect moments before Ziva broke away to suggest they move to the bedroom, to which her companion responded only with giddy nods of agreement.


	6. Love and Uncertainty

Ziva awoke early in the morning, as she always did. But this morning there was a pale arm draped around her, its owner's body intertwined with hers. The sweet taste of her houseguest still lingered on her lips, bringing her back to the night before; the flying clothes, the blur of hands and lips hungrily exploring supple flesh, words and names first whispered, then screamed to god. She carefully rolled Abby over so she could embark on her morning run. A heavy sleeper, Abby responded only by grunting and pulling the covers over herself. She put on her jogging clothes and headed for the door with a bit more spring in her step than most mornings.

Ziva arrived back home 45 minutes later, like clockwork. She sat down on the bed and stroked Abby's hair. She opened her eyes slowly. "Shalom, Abby." Ziva said in a soft voice, smiling amicably. "It is time to get ready for work." She sat up, stretched her arms, and gained enough awareness to notice her companion was laughing quietly. "Whassofunny?" the goth mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "You have bed hair." Ziva handed her a brush from the nightstand. "It's bed head. You gotta coffee maker?"

"I got you a latte on my way home. It's on the counter. I am going to take a shower." Abby stood up and started toward the kitchen, then looked at the time. "We're not both going to have time to take one." She shot the Israeli a suggestive look. "Abigail Scuito, are you suggesting we shower together?" Abby picked up her coffee and leaned against the counter. "Either that, or I go to work with messed-up hair smelling like sex. It's all we'd hear about from Tony all week." Ziva stepped out of the bathroom, brazenly nude, with one arm leaned against the bedroom doorway. "You say that as if I needed convincing." she remarked cheekily. Abby ran to her and placed an ardent kiss on her lips as they headed for the shower.

When they had both finished drying their hair, Ziva went to put her clothes on and realized Abby, still in the raw, had nothing to wear. She threw a pair of cargo pants and a red t-shirt at her. "Actually, I've got extra clothes in that bag I brought from my lab. I always keep some around in case I spill some corrosive chemical on myself or something. But it's in your car, so... would you mind getting it for me? I'd rather not get arrested on top of everything that's happened in the past 24 hours." Ziva chuckled, always appreciative of Abby's quirky sarcasm. "Of course I will."

She returned a moment later, skull-embellished backpack in hand. After locating her lingerie from where it had been haphazardly flung, Abby donned a chained black skirt and a lacy black top. "There's still 20 minutes before we have to leave... Do you get up this damn early every day?" Ziva set a box of scones on the counter, took one, and sat down at her small kitchen table. "I like to have time in the mornings. I don't understand why people think it is worthwhile to sleep in as late as possible if you're just going to be stressed every day from having to rush to get ready, and drive like a crazy person all the way to work!" Watching Ziva talk was somewhat of a spectacle. She spoke with her whole body, gesturing with her hands and emoting with her face, even when Abby wasn't watching her. She grabbed a scone and sat down next to Ziva at the table, resisting the urge to comment on the fact that Ziva wasn't the best driver herself. There were more important things to discuss.

"You've... never been with a woman before." Abby said hesitantly, hoping she didn't get the wrong idea. She looked embarrassed. "Was I really that bad?" she blushed, avoiding Abby's glance. "No, no, it's not like that. You were great," she smiled giddily. "Just a little overzealous. It was the best night of my life, it just could have been a longer night, if you know what I mean." Ziva looked into Abby's eyes again. "Do you really mean that? About it being the best night of your life?" Abby kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't lie to you, Zi."

"I always knew I was much more interested in women than men. But... so many things held me back. I did not want to disappoint my family, especially my father. As a young girl, I fell in love with my best friend... I think she knew, but she never said anything. I thought that it would have been selfish to tell her how I felt, because it would only be putting her in danger. If my father found out, he would probably have her killed. And... I guess I thought if I found the right man, it would go away." Abby could see tears starting to gather in the usually strong Israeli's eyes. She held Ziva, letting her rest her head on Abby's shoulder. She lifted her head and continued to talk, while tracing the spider web tattoo on Abby's neck. "Of course, I have had sex many times before. But with men, it always feels like... a game. There are no feelings involved. But with you I really felt like I was... making love, as I have heard people say." Abby was suddenly conflicted. She had fallen for Ziva, hard, and she knew that. And now she knew that feeling was mutual. So what felt so wrong? She held Ziva tightly, feeling a sharp combination of love and uncertainty.


	7. Security

Abby tried to ignore the doubt she felt as Ziva drove them to work. She had always been a little afraid of commitment- when you fall for someone, it's like your heart is in their hands, and they can crush it any time they want. Or, they can be taken from you in a cruel instant. Hadn't she learned her lesson about dating someone who could die on any given workday? But she knew that wasn't what it was really about. She trusted Ziva. She wanted so badly to just let go and fall for her like she fell for Kate, and be happy again. But therein lied the problem: falling for someone else still felt like a betrayal of Kate, and only made the fact that she was gone more real. She had remained single and celibate since Kate's death, and was only able to do so because it helped her hang on to the memory of her former lover, like she would walk in the door any moment and everything would be okay again. But she couldn't be alone forever, and Kate was never coming back. Admitting that was terrifying.

Pulling the car into her parking space, Ziva leaned in for a kiss from Abby. Abby reciprocated, but didn't feel the same passion she had felt the night before. Ziva felt her hesitate, but assumed she was either tired or nervous about how this was going to affect work, and what would happen if everyone found out. They walked in without saying a word, and returned to their normal places in their normal fashion, not wanting to give themselves away. "How was the slumber party, Zi-vah? You look tired, long night?"

"Yes, we stayed up late baking cookies and telling ghost stories." She replied in a sarcastic tone. Tony stopped in his tracks and donned a confused look, trying to think of a way to explain to her how little sense that statement made. "Dinozzo, quit screwing around and get ready to go." Gibbs was in a markedly bad mood today, considering he let a terrorist escape that was now targeting Abby. "Go where, boss?" Tony frantically gathered his gear, not wanting to do anything to further aggravate Gibbs. "We found Abby's car. Bad news is it's totaled. Good news is the body in it matches the description of our guy."

As soon as the elevator door closed, McGee glanced at his remaining coworker and said, "Someone's going to have to tell Abby her car's wrecked." They both paused for a second, then looked at the empty desk. "Tony," they both declared in unison. McGee's phone rang. "Director wants to see us about the new security system." He said, hanging up the phone.

"...and the system will be installed on Sunday, meaning on Monday I want you two to think of every possible way the system could be breached and try it. We can't risk another break-in." Ziva stared into space while Jenny spoke. "David. You're usually more attentive than this. Something the matter?" She said, embarrassing the agent slightly. "No, Director." Ziva replied simply. "Get back to the squadroom, you two. Gibbs and Tony should be back soon."

Ziva grabbed a paper sack from her desk and headed back toward the elevator. "Where are you going?" McGee asked, not wanting Gibbs to return to one agent MIA. "Lunch break. I won't be long." She tapped her foot, willing the elevator to descend faster. She walked into Abby's lab, surprising the goth scientist. "Ziva! Usually I hear people coming when my door's closed, because they always run into it... but then again, I shouldn't expect an assassin to run into doors... what are you doing down here, anyway?"

"I am taking a lunch break. I wanted to spend it down here with you." Abby walked over to the Israeli agent. "I have a glaring suspicion you didn't come down here just for the wonderful experience of eating a sandwich while smelling lab chemicals." Ziva stood up directly in front of the taller woman and looked into her emerald green eyes. "Am I really that predictable?" she asked, wrapping her arms around the goth's thin waist. She planted her lips on that of her companion's, glad that she hadn't worn dark lipstick that day. The lab around them seemed to melt away, all of the assassin's acute senses focused on Abby. She slid a hand up the back of the chained black skirt, playing with the lace she found underneath.

Abby pulled away, intending to ask "Are we really going to do this here?" but lost the power of speech as Ziva's hand worked its way under the delicate lace. She bit her lip to stifle a moan, then recaptured Ziva's lips in a deep kiss. Suddenly they heard a loud sneeze from somewhere else in the lab. They looked at each other, then around the room.

"TONY!" They both yelled, marching over to the exposed onlooker. "Please tell me you were not planning to stand there and watch us." Ziva said furiously, her face flushed bright red. "I was not planning to stand here and watch you two have office sex." He replied, smirking. Abby slapped him, across the face this time. "Ow! I said I wasn't!" He muttered. "Well, it's obviously what you were doing!" She was equally enraged. "Then why'd you ask?" Tony tried to avoid the two caustic glares aimed at him. "You are a pervert." Ziva said bitingly, pointing an accusing finger at his chest. "You two were about to have office sex, and I'm the pervert?" The two women glanced at each other, knowing they could be in serious trouble. "If you ever tell anyone about this..."

"Yeah, yeah, you'll kill me 18 ways with a paper clip. I get this speech every day." Tony said lightly, expecting her usual threat. "Actually, I was going to say I would come into your apartment while you are sleeping and cut off your-" Tony's face was stark white. He coughed loudly to interrupt her. "Yes, ma'am." He replied, looking genuinely frightened. "And I will email your internet browsing history to all of your facebook friends." Abby said, grinning. Ziva laughed quietly. "I get it, ladies. We're all business here. I saw nothing. Anyway, I came down here to tell you-"

"I will tell her." Ziva said, shooing Tony to the elevator. "Abby, I hate to be the bear of bad news, but your car was found wrecked." Abby sighed angrily. "Dammit! My insurance better cover this. Wait... was our guy in it?" Ziva had started to say yes when Tony chimed in. "Actually, it was someone else... he used the crash to fake his death. Which means he wants us to think he's dead, so he's probably still after you." Abby sighed again. "I know what that means, Tony. Tell McGee to send his picture to my apartment manager so they can keep him the hell away from my house." Tony's cell rang. "Hey, boss. Uh-huh. Yep. Yeah, she's down here." He cast Ziva a mocking glance. "Okay. I'll tell them." He hung up the phone and looked at Abby. "Bossman says our guy sent an armed terrorist to your house, but he was detained by local LEOs. Won't say anything about where our guy is hiding. And you" he said, looking at Ziva. "need to get your ass back upstairs."


	8. Judgement Day

"Probie, do you really think I can't see the GameBoy in your lap?" McGee quickly placed the device in his desk drawer. "Do you think I can't see the issue of Playboy in your lap, Tony?" The senior field agent looked at Tim. "Nothing's getting done." he complained. "We've been trying to find this guy for a week and we don't have a single lead." A look of realization appeared on his face. "We've been at this for a week." he said with a curious tone. "Tony, you just said that." McGee announced confusedly. "Abby's been staying with Ziva for a week and she hasn't asked once to go home..." McGee rolled his eyes. "Tony, if there was a terrorist after you, would you want to go home? And there's no way Gibbs would let her anyway."

"Sure, but that never stops her from trying. If she wanted to leave, we'd have heard them arguing about it by the second or third day. But we haven't. Which means she doesn't want to leave." He grinned widely. "That doesn't prove anything. There is nothing going on between them." Tony frowned. "Alright, Probie. I wasn't supposed to tell you this..." He paused, seeing a loophole. "So I won't _tell_ you. Watch the security footage from Abby's lab Tuesday at 5:15."

"That better have something to do with catching this bastard, Tony." Gibbs marched into the bullpen and sat down, something he didn't do often. "Um, no, boss, it's... I'm gonna get back to work." Tony made himself look busy. Gibbs' cell phone rang. There was a barely noticeable look of relief on his face as he listened to the caller, said a blunt "thanks" and hung up. "Our guy was ID'd at a sporting store trying to buy knives. He's been taken into custody. McGee, go tell Abby." He said, pointing toward the elevator.

Abby heard the elevator ding. She felt her heart speed up once again, hoping Ziva had come to visit her. Ever since the incident on Tuesday, she had been choosing her visitation hours more carefully. She tried her best to act natural, but a split-second frown crossed her face when she saw McGee. "Great news, Abby. We found him. He's in custody. You're safe now. You can go home and sleep in your own coffin tonight." he said lightheartedly. Abby's heart sank. "Oh... that's... awesome." Her miserable failure at feigning excitement made McGee finally realize Dinozzo was right. He nodded awkwardly and quickly walked to the elevator, trying to turn his brain right side up again.

There was significant decrease in conversation on the drive to Ziva's apartment that night. They both knew it was Judgment Day, time to commit or quit. For Abby, the former meant accepting the reality of Kate's death and moving on. For Ziva, it meant accepting that she had fallen in love- with a woman. It wouldn't be easy for either of them, but ignoring their feelings and throwing away such an amazing opportunity just wasn't an option.

The walk to the apartment was solemn and quiet compared to the neighbor-angering races and laughfests that usually lead them to Apartment 310. Abby quickly busied herself making tea before gathering up her things, an obvious attempt to avoid her host. She needed to think- what was she going to say? How would the Israeli react? She remembered going through this awkward stage with Kate, but in that case it hadn't been rushed like this; she just let things progress naturally until there was no need to 'make it official', it just was. Still trying to make a decision, she noticed Ziva approach the doorway to the bedroom where she was gathering up scattered miniskirts and skull-emblazoned tees. "Would you like me to drive you home now, Abigail?" she offered, trying to hide her disappointment. After a few gloomy moments, the goth gazed up at her from where she was crouched on the floor.

"I don't want to go, Ziva." she stated plainly, trying to gauge the brunette's reaction. Ziva smiled affectionately and sat down next to her blushing companion. "You do not have to." She wrapped her arms around the pigtailed scientist and planted a kiss on her cheek. Abby grinned ecstatically, quickly got up, sat down on the side of the bed, and extended her arms to Ziva, who accepted the invitation heartily. Working toward the center of the bed, she positioned herself above Abby and stroked the sensitive skin of her spiderwebbed neck. She kissed her gently, then pulled back and whispered "I love you, Abigail Scuito" before resting her head on the pale woman's chest, feeling her heart beat heavily. "Ziva... I... I love you too." she replied sincerely, almost in tears. She placed her arm around the Israeli, feeling a sense of peace and joy that had evaded her for years.

**Author's Note: Aww. Doesn't it warm your heart like a metaphorical pair of spa socks? Doesn't this note totally ruin the moment? :D Anyway, Imma go camping. I'll start a new one when I get back. Thanks for reading! Review or PM me with ideas if you like!**


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